Las Vegas Review-Journal

October 10, 2026 - 9:00 pm

In addition to the governor’s race, several important state constitutional offices are on the ballot this fall.

Senate Majority Leader Nicole Cannizzaro, a Democrat, faces Republican Adriana Guzman Fralick in the race to replace Attorney General Aaron Ford.

Ms. Cannizzaro seeks to become the state’s highest law enforcement officer, but for years she thumbed her nose at the Nevada Constitution’s separation of powers clause by serving simultaneously as a lawmaker and a Clark County prosecutor. She has shown little propensity as a legislative leader to reach across the aisle on substantive issues or to properly manage the end of the session chaos.

Ms. Guzman Fralick is a Reno attorney who has previously worked with the Nevada Ethics Commission and the Public Utilities Commission. She wants to ensure that the AG’s office is focused on issues important to Nevada rather than serving as a platform to oppose all things Trump. She vows a commitment to transparency and to “restore law and order” by working more closely with state law enforcement agencies and pushing for “stronger criminal laws.”

We believe Adriana Guzman Fralick is the easy choice.

Incumbent Democrat Cisco Aguilar is running against Republican Jim Marchant in an effort to retain his post as secretary of state.

Mr. Marchant, a former state lawmaker, favors voter ID laws and stricter election security, but he’s up to his nose in conspiracy theories regarding elections and other topics, undermining his credibility. He admits that he doesn’t have enough party or financial support to “run a serious campaign.”

Mr. Aguilar has been too quick, in our view, to dismiss the Trump administration’s efforts to weed any noncitizens from the voter rolls. But he’s been a steady hand during his first term and says he is dedicated to “being innovative, modernizing and being transparent.” His priority is to ensure that counting Nevada ballots doesn’t drag on for days after the election ends. He’s realistic on voter ID, acknowledging that “Nevadans want this.”

Cisco Aguilar deserves a second term as secretary of state.

As lieutenant governor, Republican Stavros Anthony is second in command. He faces Democrat Sandra Jauregui in his run for another four years.

Ms. Jauregui has served in the Assembly for the past decade and has risen to majority leader. She previously worked for the late Democratic Sen. Harry Reid. Her website reveals she embraces a highly active role for the government when it comes to health care, housing (think: rent control) and other sectors of the economy. Her time in Carson City reveals an antipathy toward education reform. She supported the Hollywood handouts legislation.

Mr. Anthony is a former captain with the Metropolitan Police Department who also served on the Las Vegas City Council. His office has statutory duties that involve transportation and tourism, and Mr. Anthony notes that he “spent a lot of time going to places like Eureka, Austin, Lovelock” talking to Nevadans. His goal is to “continue to promote tourism all over the state,” including outdoor recreation. He hopes to introduce legislation to boost “agricultural tourism,” to promote small businesses and to continue his fight against HOV lanes in Southern Nevada.

We recommend a vote for Stavros Anthony.

In the contest for state controller, Republican Andy Matthews faces Democrat Michael MacDougall.

Mr. Matthews, who previously served two years in the Assembly, has represented Nevada well as its chief fiscal officer. He is a stalwart proponent of transparency and created the “state checkbook,” which allows taxpayers to access online detailed information on state outlays. He hopes to use his second term to persuade local governments to do the same. Mr. Matthews has also championed the creation of a state inspector general to conduct forensic audits of state departments in search of waste or fraud. He favors subjecting public-sector collective bargaining to the open meeting law, an excellent idea.

Mr. MacDougall is a teacher with no discernible experience that would qualify him for this position.

Voters should enthusiastically support Andy Matthews.

The treasurer is the state’s chief banker and handles investments and other duties. Democrat Tya Mathis-Coleman is running against Republican Drew Johnson in the race to replace the outgoing Zach Conine.

Ms. Mathis-Coleman is currently deputy treasurer and previously worked for the Clark County School District. She said the office is running smoothly and “not a lot of changes need to be made” regarding unclaimed property or investment decisions. “I believe in Nevada,” she says. “I have a track record of serving the state.”

Mr. Johnson is a think-tank policy analyst who previously worked for the National Taxpayers Union. He was the GOP nominee for Nevada’s 3rd Congressional District in 2024, losing by 3 points to Rep. Susie Lee. He also narrowly lost a run for a seat on the Clark County Commission in 2022. Mr. Johnson hopes to create a lasting revenue source for the Millennium Scholarship fund by using the interest generated by unclaimed property. He vows not to politicize the investment process: “My goal is to safely invest your money and get a great return.” Like Mr. Matthews, he favors the creation of a state inspector general to combat waste.

Voters have a tough decision in this race. Ms. Mathis-Coleman has experience and enthusiasm. But Mr. Johnson’s focus on transparency, maximizing returns and rooting out waste makes much sense. We recommend a vote for Drew Johnson.